


Paint My Walls Yellow

by joantpan



Series: Tetrapyrrole [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Art School, Alternate Universe - Artists, Arts, Fluff, M/M, Multi, Other, Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-08-22 17:00:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16601969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joantpan/pseuds/joantpan
Summary: One trip. One coincidental trip with his friends. One coincidental hangout trip with his friends at his uncle's new cafe.One painting made by two amazing hands. A pair of breathtaking eyes and silver white hair he sees,and so before he knew it, he was enrolled into the prestigious NCT Academy of Arts, specifically, in the Fine Arts department.Nothing is wrong here actually. But well, the thing is...Huang Renjun doesn't even know how to lift a paintbrush.That is when he knew he's in for a one big heck of a ride.And he ain't backing down to be close with that hyung he saw at his uncle's cafe.





	Paint My Walls Yellow

"Mom, i'm gonna go now-"

"Eh-"

"Mom, I took some money from your wallet-"

"What? Stop right there-"

"Bye mom, love ya!"

"Huang Renjun!"

Renjun snickered as he kicked the gates open, bolting out of their house in hasty steps before his mom could even object with his plans to go to his uncle Junmyeon's new cafe by the city.

It was a beautiful Friday summer morning. The last one perhaps before a new school year kicks in. 

The gentle breeze was bracing the village in its everyday routine. Strips of sunbeams flared through the gaps of large Plumeria trees, enveloping the village in a soft and dewy-fresh glow. 

"Goodmorning Junnie." The grandma sitting on her rocking chair at the porch of her house just down the street greeted him with a smile accompanied by cute wrinkles.

Renjun waved enthusiastically in response, yelling out a brief 'morning!' at her way.

Whistling, Renjun made his way by the wooden bridge at the Lotus pond, and on cue was the bark of his neighbour's rowdy white Japanese Spitz dog named Kyu. 

Renjun quickly ran away though before the dog could chew his childish tongue off.

This is probably a sight that will never cease to stir the emotions inside Renjun. He cannot imagine living in any place other than this.

 

"Renjun mah frn!"

Renjun side-stepped away from Donghyuck's 5th desperate attempt to hug him within the first minute they met up at the city bus stop, giving his brunet friend the stinky eye. "Cut it out Hyuck."

Donghyuck pouted, giving the blonde boy a pair of puppy eyes. Chenle made gagging noises behind them.

"Cut it out or i'll choke you-"

"My eyes they burn-" 

"What? I can't miss my friends?" Donghyuck looked at them both, feigning a hurt look.

Renjun raised an eyebrow at that. "We just met yesterday-"

"Still, I can't miss my friends?" Donghyuck shotted them with slight glares. 

Chenle continued after Renjun. "-and the day before yesterday, and the day before that, and then the Sunday before the previous week, and then that day when you almost choked on that hotdog, and then previously when that old man chased you for stealing his potted plant named Bernie-"

"Hey!" Donghyuck crossed his arms, gawking at them feeling offended. "Why is this all about me now-? And excuse you both- You both don't complain when it comes to those dudes you've been liking! Remember that time when-"

"Okay okay, we'll stop." Renjun interjected, placing a hand over Hyuck's loud mouth. "Let's not keep my uncle waiting or else his hair would turn grey by the time we arrive at his cafe."

The three snickered, at least they all agreed at one point.

"So," Hyuck turned to Renjun and Chenle as they started walking. "Have you three decided what course are you all going to enroll in SM University tomorrow?"

Chenle nodded. "I'm probably going to enroll in Business Ad."

Hyucked snorted at that. "What's with chinese people and businesses-"

"Yah!" 

"Hah! I knew it- Chinese people are into businesses after all."

"Hyung, you're stereotyping us too much-"

"Nuh uh. I mean, Renjun's mom bakes good pies for a living!"

Chenle grumbled under his breath. "No wonder your cheeks were fat, you must have eaten all of aunt's pies."

"YAH! COME HERE YOU BRAT!"

Renjun sighed and shaked his head as he watched his two friends bicker back and forth. Another scene that never fails to amuse Renjun. 

After a few minutes of watching them bicker, Renjun rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Okay, stop, stop. This ain't a playground and you're both like what-? Hyuck, you're 18 years old and Chenle, you're 17 already." He planted his two hands on their faces, pushing them apart before they start biting off each other's faces. 

"FYI- I'm 18 and fabulous okay-"

"Junnie!" 

Renjun's face lit up at the sight of his uncle Joonmyeon waving at him outside a vintage looking cafe. 

"Uncle Joon!" He waved back and ran towards him, ignoring the grumbles and fuming of his two childish friends.

Joonmyeon ruffled the boy's blonde hair, grinning. "Look at you Junnie, all grown up. Last time you and your mom visited me, you were just as tall as this small bonsai tree." He laughed, gesturing at the plant. 

"Do tell us more- ow! Renjun-" Hyuck pouted, rubbing his arm where Renjun punched. "Oh- hi uncle Myeon, I mean hyung- Well, technically you're old so I should call you uncle but since i'm-"

"How are you doing, uncle Myeon?" Chenle interrupted, giving Junmyeon a small polite bow."

"Yah! Zhong Chenle don't interrupt me when i'm-"

Joonmyeon chuckled and squeezed Donghyuck's cheeks. "You're still gabbing nonsense as usual, and Chenle ah, you've grown so handsome already." He smiled.

Donghyuck scoffed, rubbing his cheeks. "How about me- I've grown handsome too-"

"Trust me hyung," Renjun interrupted Hyuck this time. "We tell him that everyday, yet he still spouts nonsense." He whispers to Joonmyeon with a playful wink. 

"Huang Renjun-"

Joonmyeon opened the door to his cafe. "Let's go inside?"

Renjun nodded. "Finally." He stepped inside and was followed by Chenle shortly.

Donghyuck looked at them in disbelief. "Wow, oh wow. And I call you two my friends!?" He exasperated over dramatically. "Oh for the love of- After all these years, this is how you both treat me- I demand to be treated with respect! Why I oughta- let me speak to-"

"Hyuck, you coming in?" Renjun turned to face Donghyuck from the inside, amused as the other was still throwing a fit outside.

"Yes yes! Of course i'm coming in." Donghyuck stopped and smiled in response, twitching. "Ahahahaha- Of course Huang Renjun. How could you leave your friend outside?" He said, following his friends inside shortly after. 

"Donghyuck hyung?"

"Yes, Chenle?"

"You suck-"

"COME HERE YOU BRAT-"

Renjun sighed and ignored his friends who bickered for the nth time that day.

"Junnie, sit here with your friends while I grab you three something to eat." Joonmyeon called as he walked to the back, somewhere inside the cafe.

Renjun nodded absentmindedly, observing the interior view of the cafe. The walls were a mixture of brown and light grey, while the one behind the counter were trendy brick panelings. He poked at a flower vase that was shaped like an inverted light bulb. His nose twitched, picking up the scent of coffee beans which were thickly intertwined in the air. 

No doubt this was the city indeed, totally different from his rustic village back home in the south.

What confused him the most though was that at the other side of the cafe, people were huddling together, trying to get a look at whatever was that interesting thing going on.

Renjun, being the country boy that he grew to be, strode over to the other side in curious steps. He took a glance at his friends who were still bickering at their window seats, then back to the growing crowd.

'A peek won't hurt...' He thought to his self, butting in and succeeding to slip his self through the front of the crowd with his small frame.

He suddenly stopped and stared, freezing as his eyes wandered on what was infront of him.

Two hands, two amazing pair of hands. How could two amazing pair of hands create slow and gentle strokes? He looked upwards and gasped softly.

The guy had silvery white hair and a breathtaking pair of eyes you could get lost into. He was holding a palette with his left hand and a paintbrush on the right. After what seemed like hours to Renjun, but actually only a few seconds and a few finishing touches, the said guy stood up and started cleaning his paintbrushes and art materials. 

Soon, people started approaching the guy, talking and offering in what Renjun made out to be papers.

'W-Wait- is that money?' Renjun's eyes widened as he saw cheques and money. Loads of money being offered in large duffel bags by rich looking men and women. What surprised him though was that the guy politely declined every single offer.

Every single one.

Renjun was sure someone made an offer of a million dollars at one point.

Gradually, the crowd gave up on offering cash as the guy was somewhat intent on not selling his painting. Thus, everyone dissipated to return to their normal life routines.

Renjun stood there and watched the guy curiously.

"Yes? Is there something on my face?"

Renjun snapped out of his trance and gasped, having been caught staring. His eyes met the other's in a flash. He had been staring for minutes already.

The other guy smiled at him.

"Come here, kid."

Renjun, eyes wide, gulped and moved closer. "Y-Yes?"

The guy turned his canvas around and showed the contents to Renjun who turned speechless at what he saw. "What do you see?" He asked Renjun.

Renjun cleared his throat. "I-... I see geometrical patterns." He glanced at the guy who was giving him a dazzling smile, nodding.

"And?"

Renjun cleared his throat again and looked back at the painting. "I-I see that... there is a big spiral in the middle.. the background is painted with green..." He squinted his eyes and looked closer. "No..."

The guy raised an eyebrow expectantly.

"It's true." Renjun whispered. 

The other tilted his head.

"It.. It's true that there is a huge spiral that occupies the... err.."

"Canvas." 

Renjun nodded. "Yes, canvas... But hyung, I think when you look at it closer, it isn't just a spiral."

The guy smiled in amusement. A hidden glint in his eye. "Oh? Tell me more, kid."

Renjun smiled back nervously before continuing. "It's not a spiral, hyung. It's a huge turtle!" He chuckled as he started imagining the huge cute turtle swimming. "The color at the back... no, the colors at the back are made up of shades of green, blue, purple and white. Then there is a hint of brown at the very back... Like-" He turned to the guy who was smiling widely at this point. "Like the color of the sea... cool emerald green, aquamarine blue and green, sparkling white waves, and the crispy light brownish sand beneath them. Above this, the turtle swims- It's a warm feeling. I feel warm thinking about it, it... it feels like the turtle is home. "

The guy clapped slowly. Renjun blinked in confusion.

"My name is Lee Taeyong, kid. You sure have an eye for the arts." The guy, whose name was Taeyong, smiled warmly at him. "What's your name?"

Renjun smiled shyly and scratched his pinkish cheeks.

"Huang Renjun."

"Renjun." Taeyong mumbled his name, reaching for something at his bag pockets. He grabbed Renjun's hands and placed a golden wax sealed envelope on the boy's waiting hands.

"T-Taeyong ssi?"

Taeyong patted his head and straightened up. "Call me hyung. My artist name is TY." He said and pointed at the lower right side of the painting which had the initials TY signed on it. "You have talent, Renjunnie. you were right. The name of this piece is 'Home away from Home'. What you have there right now is a recommendation letter from me, to give to the NCT Academy of Arts. They will know." 

Taeyong chuckled at Renjun's surprised face.

"Renjun." He placed a hand on the boy's head and looked into the other's brown eyes. "I can see the talent and artistic potential in you. It's such a waste to ignore what wonderful talent you have there." Taeyong pulled away and placed his stuff inside his bag. "You can see what others don't see. Those people earlier?" Taeyong hummed. "They all want this painting because it's made by someone like me." He turned to Renjun. "This painting though, it's a part of me. My childhood specifically as I grew up by the South, near the shores. I want to give it to someone who would be able to see it in another light. Someone like you. You, kid, have the heart of an artist inside you."

Renjun's eyes sparkled a bit at that. "R-Really?"

"Hmm mm." Taeyong nodded, breaking out into a huge smile, he packed his bags and ruffled Renjun's hair. "You should come. Come to NCT Academy of Arts and enroll as a student there. Here, as a gift, i'll give you this painting. Wait for it to dry though, or else it'll smudge off. I'll ask Joonmyeon hyung to pack it for you later." Taeyong chuckled and turned around to make his leave.

Renjun gasped. "Wait- hyung! W-Will I see you again?" He asked, hoping that he would be able to talk to the guy in the near future. 

Taeyong glanced at him and smiled again. "Of course, why not? I teach at NCT. See you around kiddo'!" And then he left.

Renjun's gaze lingered a little longer at Taeyong's back, until he had nothing left to see but cars and people.

Yes, this is the city. It is different from home, but it seemed like the other person brought home here.

"Yooooo Renjun- yah!" Donghyuck pushed him from behind, grinning. "Where were you huh!? Sneaky! Hiding from us-"

Chenle grumbled. "You left me with this loud mouth-"

"HYUNG, THAT'S HYUNG TO YOU KID. Should I spell it for you!? COME HERE YOU BRAT-"

"Hyuck... Le..." Renjun turned to them and smiled.

Nothing can prepare the two for what their friend said next.

"I'm going to NCT Academy of Arts."

"WHAT!?"

**Author's Note:**

> Hellooo thereeee. I'm a new writer -slash- newbie, and this fic is inspired from experiences. I'm not that into Fine Arts and such but I do go to an art school, thus I wanted to do an appreciation fic of these stuffs that I like. Hihihi let's enjoy all the way~


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